The active bishops of the Church of England are usually either diocesan bishops or suffragan bishops. Several also hold portfolios of national responsibility, either as spokesperson bishops for the Church of England or as Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords.

Diocesan bishops

As there are 42 dioceses of the Church of England, there are 42 bishops diocesan (including vacancies). Of the 42: both archbishops and the Bishops of London, of Durham and of Winchester, sit in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual ex officio; a further 21 sit there by seniority (of whom five had their seniority accelerated); the Bishop of Sodor and Man sits ex officio in the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man and also in Tynwald Court; fourteen diocesans are not currently Lords Spiritual; and the Bishop in Europe is ineligible to be a Lord Spiritual.

Lords Spiritual ex officio

Lords Spiritual by virtue of seniority of service

Until 2015, the 21 longest-serving among the remaining diocesan bishops were eligible to sit in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual. Since women became eligible as bishops in 2015, female diocesan bishops take precedence over male ones whenever a new vacancy in the Lords arises, in accordance with the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (in force until 17 May 2025).

Other diocesan bishops

Acting diocesan bishops

Suffragan bishops

, there are 73 bishops suffragan. Of the 73: one, the Bishop of Dover, acts as a diocesan bishop; one, the Bishop of Islington, has a national role (though often focused in London); five bishops provide Alternative Episcopal Oversight (to parishes who reject the presbyteral and/or episcopal ministry of women); 20 are area bishops; and the remaining 46 are deployed in suffragan roles across their diocese (or have informal portfolios or geographical responsibility).

Other bishops

, there are sixteen people in active ministry (i.e. not retired) in the Church of England who are in episcopal orders but not in episcopal posts in the Church of England.

House of Bishops

The membership of the General Synod's House of Bishops is: Acting diocesan bishops (commissaries) also attend but do not vote (unless they happen to hold a vote as an elected representative suffragan) at meetings of the House. The four "provincial episcopal visitors" (the Bishops suffragan of Richborough, of Ebbsfleet, of Oswestry and of Beverley) may attend and speak, but are not members and may not vote — unless they are elected as representative suffragans (as Beverley is). Since 1 December 2016 six female bishops suffragan are "[given] rights of attendance". They are:

Scheduled Crown Nominations Committee (CNC) meetings

The following meetings of the Crown Nominations Commission have been held since 2020, with the outcomes listed:

Consecration notes

Resignations and retirements

Bishops are generally required to retire at age 70, but may continue in office for longer (up to a maximum of 75) by direction of their superior (the archbishop for diocesan bishops, the diocesan bishop for suffragan bishops).